When Life Gives You S*#!, Build a House

It's a safe bet that anyone reading my blog knows I had a little scuffle with a VW Beetle 8 years ago.  By "little scuffle" I mean, I got mowed down by a car and it really messed up every life plan I had made.

I'll keep the story brief: I got hit, got hurt, moved back in with my ultra-religious, ultra-conservative folks in Alaska, got medically discharged from the Coast Guard, moved to Spokane, WA where I knew two people, and two years later was still in physical therapy.  I had tried working, but it was too rough.  I went to college for the first time and was treading water in an unhappy relationship.

During this time I met Charissa, who has done about half of my tattoos.  I had wanted to do some sort of tattoo in memory of the accident, as I really believe the tattoo process is great for healing.  So, we talked.  My not-so-artistic idea got morphed into this:


Thanks, Charissa!

That, my friends, is a scarab.  More affectionately known as a dung beetle. See the little hidden VW symbol?  And wouldn't you know it, the VW that hit me was blue.

So, why the dung beetle?  In the words of Charissa, "When life gives you sh*#, build a house."  You can't change the cards dealt you.  The dung beetle didn't decide one day to roll around in crap.  And I certainly didn't decide to get ran over by a car.

But about 3 1/2 years after it happened, in a town I never, ever thought I'd live in at a community college I never planned on attending I met a girl who made me realize that all the plans I had made were wrong.  Because they didn't include her.

And now I have this beautiful family, my beautiful wife, and our beautiful home (which, is no longer made of poop).